Nikon Announces First Android Camera | Coolpix s800c

Nikon announced it’s first casual wander down the body-strewn Avenue de Convergence (it’s in France) this week with the announcement of the Android Coolpix s800c camera phone.

The s800c (memorable moniker eh) runs Android version 2.3.3 (reeses pieces?) and sports a great big touch screen, a nice zoom and connects with the world via WIFI and bluetooth (does anyone actually use Bluetooth?). There is no GSM capability so, no, it is not a phone.

The downside to all of this new age loveliness? Crappy battery life – actually, crappier than crappy – a very 2005-esque 140 shots per charge. Presumably that factors in little or no Instagramming or Angry Birding in between shots too….

Personally, I see this as a dead end street for Nikon. I see little long term market for a compromised compact camera with partial communications functionality in world of smartphones – many of which will have equivalent camera functions within the next 2-3 years. Who is going to carry around a compact a camera when their phone does it all?